For Everything You Are
by Ephemeral Muse
Summary: Your smile anchored me when I was about to sink. Your words made me realize there was more to living than simply waking up and going back to sleep. You spoke to me- you saved me. But I couldn't return the favor until it was too late. AU. Dae96.


A/N: This fic actually had a completely different plotline before, and was probably better suited to the prompt 'Heart'. However, an incident that broke my own heart occurred last week, and so I wanted to write about it. And before anyone asks, yes this story does follow the prompt. If you don't see it, you're not looking hard enough.

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><p>For Everything You Are<p>

_A DaemonxChrome AU Oneshot_

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><p><em>"And if I was running,<em>

_ you'd be the one who I would be running to ._

_And if I was crying,_

_ you would be lining the cloud that would pull me through. _

_And if I was scared,_

_ then I would be glad to tell you and walk away ._

_But I am not lying, _

_I am just trying to find my way in to you "_

_-Find a Way by SafetySuit_

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><p>"Hey, look Chrome! That really handsome upperclassman is looking at you!" somebody giggled as their group huddled around the timid girl in question's desk.<p>

"Ooh, you mean Daemon-sempai? I hear that he's a real player, but man is he such a gentleman or what!" another gushed. "I can't believe he's looking over at Chrome, of all people though. I mean, no offense to you or anything, but you're kind of the quiet type..."

'Chrome', the blushing purple-haired girl seated at her desk, quickly raised her hands in protest. 'D-don't be silly, guys! There's no way he's looking over at me. Haru, maybe, but me?" She laughed nervously, brushing away any possible hint.

"There's no way a hot-shot like him could have any interest in me."

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><p><em>Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of rain was the forecast that bleak hour. As he listened to the man in black recite empty words, he wondered idly if the pouring water was meant to cover his own tears. Not that he had many tears left to shed— he felt cold and numb both inside and out. His coat and shirt were both completely drenched, but he couldn't bring himself to take off his blazer.<em>

_After all, she did say that he looked best when he was wearing that jacket._

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><p>Late, late, late! She was going to be late for the third time that week if she didn't hurry and run to the classroom. Not bothering to even slow down as she turned the corner, she slammed head on into another body.<p>

"Omfh!" She gritted as her rear met the cold floor. Rubbing her elbow, she glanced up, ready to apologize. Seeing the person she bumped into, though, made the words ready at her tongue melt away.

"Are you alright?" Daemon Spade, the infamous ladies' man of the third year at Namimori High School, reached out his hand apologetically. "I'm sorry, I should have seen where I was going. I hope you're not too hurt?"

"N-not at all!" What a fool she was, to act that stupid in front of the most handsome, talented, and popular upperclassman at her school! "I-It should be me who's apologizing! I was running, I'm terribly sorry,"she rambled as she took her senior's hand. Her face felt hot— no doubt she was blushing madly.

"Ahaha, it's no problem! You're...Chrome Dokuro, from class 2-A, right? You better run to your class, the bell's about to ring!" He waved friendlily as he walked off to his own classroom.

Chrome stood there, dazed. Daemon Spade, the most amazing boy in the whole entire school, knew_ her_ name? Quiet, boring little Chrome?

Today was a good day after all.

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><p><em>He had always hid his affection for the girl behind a mask of cool indifference, allowing his eyes to look for her only when he was sure nobody was watching him. It wasn't as though he was a stalker or anything— he simply...he simply didn't want to pressure her. She was a quiet girl, one who supported her friends rather than bask in the spotlight. And him, the famous third-year? He didn't want to scare her away.<em>

_That said, he had always liked her. From the sophisticated way she carried herself to her silent dignity, everything about her was attractive to him. But it was her hidden sense of humor that took the cake. From the time almost a year ago, when he and her stood next to each other on the bus, he couldn't take his eyes away from her._

_He bought a bouquet of violets just the other day, ready to ask her to prom. He couldn't believe that those same flowers were going to be placed at her grave instead._

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><p>"Ehhh? You're on the track team?"Haru gasped unbelievably. "No way, no way! I thought you were the bookworm type!"<p>

Chrome chuckled embarrassingly. "W-well, I started out only trying it because the coach wanted me to, but it turned out I really do like it, so..." She smiled timidly, her face slightly flushed from the attention. "We'll be having a meet next week, so I won't be able to attend the meeting. I'm sorry, Haru!"

Haru quickly patted her friend's back energetically. "No worries! Just go out and run the best you can for all of us, alright?"

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><p>"And that's all for today! Go home, and rest up!"<p>

Wiping off her face with a towel, Chrome took in a deep breath. So the meet was in four days, huh? It was one of the few times that she was allowed to run, not being in the higher echelons of the team. As she walked out of the building, a deep rumbling caused her to look up at the sky just as the first drops fell on her face.

"Oh drat, I didn't bring an umbrella," she muttered as she searched her bag in vain. "I wonder if I'll be able to make it to the station if I run...?"

Suddenly, a dark blue umbrella covered her from the drizzle. Chrome looked up, only to look away, blushing.

"D-Daemon-sempai! I didn't know that you were staying at school this late...Uhm, that jacket really suits you!"

"Ah, thank you! And well, I had a little speech to give, so I was just about to leave." Daemon smiled lightly, chuckling. Instead of his usual school uniform, he was dressed in a loosely buttoned collared shirt under a dress blazer.

"And what about you? Working hard for the track meet in a few days?"

"Ah, yes! I'll be running in the 1800 meters then!"

"Oh, is that so...I'll have to go and cheer you on then!"

Chrome looked up, shocked. He was going to go to the track meet...for her? "Ah, I'd hate to trouble you! There's no need for you to be going just for me..."

"Nonsense. Of course I should be there to cheer on my school." Daemon and Chrome both looked up then, noticing a Mercedes Benz slowing down in front of the school.

"Well, that's my ride then. I'll see you tomorrow at school?"

Of course, she almost forgot who she was talking to. Though he was nice and down-to-earth, he was still one of the richest kids at the school. What was she thinking, believing that Daemon would actually have an interest in her? Chrome stared at the ground, hiding her disappointment underneath her thick bangs.

"Ah, yea, see you tomorro-"

Her words were cut off when a metal handle was thrust in her face.

"Here! Take the umbrella. I don't need it anyway, and you've got some distance to cover before you can reach the bus stop, right?" Daemon said while offering the umbrella, smiling.

"N-no, it's okay, really it is! I don't want to ta-"

"Haha, alright, I'll take it back tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Before she could refuse any further, Daemon took her hand and wrapped it around the handle of the umbrella, making sure she had a tight hold before letting go. "See you later, Chrome!" With a parting wave, he grinned before jogging to the car and stepping in.

Chrome stood there for a few moments, in a daze. Was she allowed to be friends with this impossible guy, after all?

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><p>"Young master, you seem to be in a good mood today."<p>

Daemon glanced up from his seat in the back of the car before turning away again. "Hmm, I wonder. I was just talking to someone interesting today, is all."

"...I see. I'm glad that the young master finally made a friend at school then." The senior chauffeur smiled at Daemon's inquisitive glare, chuckling when the boy turned away blushing.

"Whatever."

Daemon continued staring out the window, lost in his thoughts. Prom was coming up soon, wasn't it...? As a flower shop was about the pass by, his thoughts clicked.

"Quick, stop here!"

Stepping out of the car, he didn't wait for the chauffeur to follow as he walked into the shop. If he wasn't mistaken, her favorite...

"Excuse me, sir, may I help you?"

Daemon looked up, startled. In front of him was the shopkeeper, a plump woman in her sixties. Laugh lines were extremely pronounced on her face, and she chuckled at his startled face.

"Are they for a girl you like?"

Daemon blushed furiously, looking away. "U-uhm, yea..."

The shopkeeper's face lit up, happy to help a young couple. "Well, why not go with those pink roses? They're extremely popular with young'uns these days, and-"

Daemon interrupted her quietly, his face still slightly pink.

"No, but do you have any purple flowers? Her favorite color is purple..."

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><p>He walked into the school, his poker face concealing his nervousness. Held in his left hand was a shoebox, concealing the bouquet of violets that he planned to give to Chrome. His battle plan was simple— since there was a test in his fourth period, he could sneak out early and go to her classroom just as the bell rang, catching her before she left to the cafeteria for lunch. Oh, but would that make her feel embarrassed? Maybe if he waited till— No, but then he wouldn't be able to hand her the flowers should she say yes. And that's even if she does say yes... Augh! He had thought of everything the night before, so why was he second-guessing himself now?<p>

He quickly sat himself down in front of his desk, pulling out his notebook for his first class while thinking. Since his first teacher was more relaxed than the others, he could plan more during this period...

When his teacher walked into the classroom, the other students broke out into hypothesizing whispers about his unusually solemn attitude and his red eyes. Did his girlfriend break up with him? Did his pet dog die? Daemon paid no attention to the rumors circulating the room, though. He was too busy deciding when to bring out the flowers when he asked Chrome.

The teacher cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. Even Daemon looked up, deciding that the planning could wait until whatever important announcement was announced.

"I wish there was a better way to say this," the teacher began, his voice cracking in the middle of his speech, "but I know that many of you were close to her, so I'm terribly sorry to be the one to announce this tragic event."

_"Yesterday evening, second year Chrome Dokuro was hit by a speeding car while walking to the bus stop. She passed away moments after the accident."_

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><p>The icy water hit his back with relentless pressure, but he didn't care. There was an old grannie walking over to another grave, but he didn't see her. All he saw through his tear-blurred eyes was the name etched plainly on the black marble headstone.<p>

"_Chrome Dokuro_," he whispered to himself, his heart dying with every syllable. "_June 1st, 1994 to...to April 10th 2011..._"

How many hours, days, weeks have passed since her death? He didn't know, he didn't care. The passage of time meant nothing to him without her— life didn't mean anything to him without her. Amidst the tedious hours of school, the plastic faces of his classmates who wanted nothing more than to suck up to the heir of the Spade Corporation, the cold glare of his father who didn't care about his existence...her smile had lit up his world.

And he couldn't even walk her home and make sure that she got home safe.

Taking in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and started talking. He didn't believe in a thing known as Heaven, but maybe, just maybe, she'll hear him.

"Hey Chrome." The smile hurt his face more than any punch ever thrown at him. "I..I don't know if you can hear me, and it's awkward talking to a gravestone, but...I'm going to give this a go, alright?"

"You know, it's weird. Every day, we walk to school, chatting with our friends and not really caring about anything. And then, at the end of each day, we part with the careless words 'See you later'. And...and we never stop and think about the possibility that maybe, just maybe, we'll never see them again."

As he continued to talk, he felt the words choke up in his throat. His eyes felt hot, and his head felt stuffy.

"You...You taught me to love life. With your smile, you taught me to appreciate everything that...everything that you won't be able to experience. You taught me to look forward to the summer vacation coming up in a few weeks...you taught me to enjoy even studying for the college entrance exams. And you've taught me to be excited for graduation, for walking up the aisle and stand with everyone else."

Damn it, he told himself he wouldn't cry. Not then. Not in front of Chrome.

"Chrome. Your name will never sound the same to me, never again. Because you know what? Tagging along that six letter word is now everything that you are. The word 'Chrome' is now the kindness you graced upon everyone you knew despite being a lady of few words. It's the friendliness that you blessed upon every stranger you met, the way you cheered up classmates who had exchanged less than five sentences with you. It is the tolerance you have for those around you, the way you are still able to help those who I scoffed at with unbiased, open arms. It is your adeptness at solving calculus problems and your extreme patience with people who aren't nearly so proficient. But most of all, _it's the way you managed to save me with your optimism, your determination, and your motivation._"

He covered his mouth with his hand then, stifling a sob.

"You know, I could go on and rant about all the things I miss about you, but there's no point in that, is there? I...I regret not talking to you sooner. I regret distancing myself, because I was scared. I was scared of having someone like you come close to me, and get the chance to cut me where it hurts. To you, I'm probably just some jock at school, someone who isn't even close enough for you to call your friend, right? But...but the truth is, I do miss you. I know I'll never be able to see your smile as you greet your friends in the morning, and I'm going to miss that."

His lip was bleeding from being bitten too hard, but he paid no attention.

"But most of all, _I'm going to miss the fact that there was a girl named Chrome Dokuro, who was an amazing woman in any and every way possible._"

He turned away then, hastily wiping his face with his sleeve. Not that it made much of a difference— his sleeve and his face were both drenched by the rain. Instead, he looked up at the sky, allowing the rain to wash away his tears. Taking in a deep breath, he then looked back at the grave and smiled at the headstone painfully.

"Chrome. I thought I would have the chance to say this to you in person, but I guess we never really appreciate the time we have until it's gone, huh?"

"So I've been wondering...if..._you'd like to go with me to Prom?_"

Maybe it was his own imagination, but it looked as those the flowers rose a little in joy at his words.

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><p>When May rolled around, the whole school was abuzz with Prom fever. The whole school was filled to the brim with gossip about Daemon's mystery date. After all, he's rejected every girl's proposal with the excuse, "I already have a prom date, sorry."<p>

But the night Prom arrived, Daemon Spade proudly walked into the venue, dressed in a plain black suit with a deep purple boutonnière, alone. And throughout the whole event, he refused any offer by the other girls to dance with them.

"After all," he smiled sadly, "I'm Chrome's date for this whole event."

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><p>Rest in peace, Alice. I won't say goodbye, because it isn't goodbye. It's simply "See you later". When we meet again, we'll fangirl together about anime just like we always did.<p>

Also, I know Chrome's birthday isn't on June 1st. But hers is, and this is for her.

Review, please and thank you.


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